1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to food dispensers, and more particularly relates to temperature controlled food dispensers and related methods.
2. Related Art
Many types of food dispensers are used for dispensing a variety of food products. Frozen French fry dispensers are one example type of food dispenser. Several example French fry dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,282,498; 5,353,847; and 5,191,918. Each of the foregoing patents discloses a French fry dispenser that includes a main storage bin, a device for moving the fries from the main storage bin into a secondary location, a structure for holding the fries in the secondary location, and a complex apparatus for moving food baskets into position under the secondary storage location.
While the food dispensers disclosed in the Cahlander patents automates the process of dispensing frozen food articles and has been successful in the marketplace, there are several areas in which food dispensers can be improved. First, the complex apparatus used for automatically moving the plurality of baskets into position is often not needed and/or desired by the end-user. Further, in such instances, providing such a complex device introduces expensive equipment into the dispenser and increases the need for maintenance.
Second, the manner in which the food dispenser determines the weight of the articles to dispense may have limited accuracy and increased cost. One way that this shortcoming has been addressed is to use a load cell. However, load cells can be an expensive piece of equipment that adds unnecessary expense. Furthermore, when using a load cell there is no accurate way of determining the amount of product left in the main storage bin. Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive and accurate load/weight measuring system.
Third, in some cases an objective of the food dispenser is to limit the defrosting/thawing of the frozen articles or to maintain the frozen articles at a predetermined temperature. The frozen articles to be dispensed from the disclosed apparatus are sometimes easily defrosted or thawed, especially when the food dispenser is positioned near the cooking area. Accordingly, there is a need for a reduction in the defrosting/thawing rate of the frozen articles while in the food dispenser. Furthermore, there is a need for an apparatus that controls the temperature of the frozen articles while in the food dispenser.
Addressing these and other considerations in food dispensers would be an advance in the art.